Adjectives

Adjectives expressing feelings:

Compare:
I am boring with I am bored

The present participle (~ing) is used to show who or what causes the feeling. So inthe first example, I am boring, I make other people feel bored. Maybe I don’t talk very much or do not have many interesting things to talk about. No matter whatthe reason, when people are around me they soon start to yawn.

The past participle (~ed) is used to show who or what ‘has’ or experiences the feeling. So inthe second example, I am bored, I am not interested in whatever is happening around me. Maybe I am in a boring lecture (the professor causes me to be bored) or Idon’t have a good book to read at home and there is nothing interesting on television.

This is a very common mistake for learners that results in the learnersaying the opposite of what s/he wants to say. MEMORIZE the difference in the ~ing and ~ed patterns and be VERY CAREFUL in how you use these patterns! !

Commonlyconfused participles
amazing/amazed
amusing/amused
annoying/annoyed
boring/bored
challenging/challenged
confusing/confused
depressing/depresseddisappointing/disappointed
encouraging/encouraged
embarrassing/embarrassed
exciting/excited
exhausting/exhausted
fascinating/fascinated
frightening/frightenedfrustrating/frustrated
insulting/insulted
interesting/interested
moving/moved
pleasing/pleased
relaxing/relaxed
satisfying/satisfied
shocking/shockedsurprising/surprised
thrilling/thrilled
tiring/tired
worrying/worried

For a more comprehensive list and some more practice, go to http://www.trussel.com/eding.htm